In the mail handling field, it is known to use specialist organizations to process mail, for example marketing (advertising) mail or transactional (banking, insurance, etc.) mail.
The mail is processed in an enveloping works that may contain a large number of enveloping machines, for example, around twenty machines.
An enveloping machine is a piece of equipment that includes document feeders (sheet feeders or continuous feeders) and an envelope feeder. Such a machine groups documents for the same addressee and inserts them into an envelope that is then handed over to the postal services.
However, the container handed over to the postal services depends on the type of mail: for transactional (banking, insurance) mail, the envelopes are placed in small boxes; for marketing mail, the envelopes are grouped by zip code, banded together and put into sacks, and the sacks are then placed in cages (metal mesh crates).
A banded packet of envelopes is referred to as a bundle. Given the postal rules in force, a bundle contains at least thirty envelopes and its weight must be from 600 to 3000 g.
Note that in enveloping works of the above kind, an operator is stationed at the downstream end of each enveloping machine to manipulate the envelopes, namely to group them by zip code so as to constitute packets of envelopes ready to be banded. The operator must then place these packets on the table of the banding machine, pick up each bundle that has just been banded and deposit it in large postal containers or a postal sack to be handed over to the postal services.
The mail processing method described above entails a heavy handling workload and non-negligible risks of error in the handling of envelopes, especially when grouping them by zip code. This method also necessitates a banding machine for each enveloping machine.
Furthermore, it is not easy for an operator to adapt to the different timing requirements of the enveloping machine and the banding machine. This is because enveloping machines generally produce from 3500 to 15000 envelopes per hour, that is, approximately 150 packets of envelopes per hour, whereas banding machines band approximately 2000 bundles per hour.
Finally, the output of a plurality of enveloping machines cannot be combined in the same postal sack, which does not enable optimal discounts of the postal services to be taken advantage of.
It will be noted further that if new rules for handing over mail to the postal services were to come into force, for example, a rule to the effect that there should be no banding of packets of envelopes, then there would be a considerable increase in the handling tasks of the current method summarized hereinabove.
Moreover, if packets of envelopes must not be banded when they are handed over to the postal services, it will prove particularly difficult to mechanize these tasks without the appropriate means.
The present invention aims to remedy at least some of the above drawbacks of the prior art by proposing the use of a dedicated container that can contain a packet of envelopes and enables totally secure transportation thereof to appropriate finishing means. This container, which is adapted to receive a plurality of envelopes, comprises: an internal housing having a substantially parallelepiped shape which is open at one of its longitudinal ends to accommodate the plurality of envelopes and closed at its opposite longitudinal end, and a portion around the internal housing having an external surface of at least partially cylindrical shape.
This container, which is small compared to the containers on wheels in which packets of envelopes reach the postal services, is used to fasten together, at least temporarily, a packet of envelopes coming from an enveloping machine. The container has an internal shape that is particularly adapted to contain envelopes and an external shape facilitating movement of the container (perimeter cylindrical in shape).
Accordingly, if packets of envelopes must not be banded when they are handed over to the postal services, using the container of the invention lightens the handling tasks of the operators and limits the risks of error.
Furthermore, using containers of the invention downstream of the enveloping machines avoids the systematic use of a banding machine for each enveloping machine.
According to one feature, the internal housing is formed by a square or rectangular section tube.
According to one feature, the tube is perforated, which reduces the weight of the container.
According to one feature, the portion having an at least partially cylindrical external surface comprises one or more rings around the internal housing. Providing one or more rings or annular bands in this way confers a cylindrical shape on the exterior surface of the container that facilitates transporting it. Moreover, avoiding the use of a complete cylindrical surface to form the external surface of the container reduces its weight.
According to one feature, the container includes a base such that the center of gravity of the container is at the level of said base to maintain its generally elongate shape in a stable vertical position with the opening of the housing facing upwards. Maintaining the container in this position means that the envelopes can be stored in this receptacle without risk of escaping from it, which therefore facilitates their temporary storage.
According to one feature, the container includes data identifying said container. Such data may take the form of a bar code affixed to or engraved on the container or an RFID module attached to it, for example. The container and its content can therefore be identified simply by reading the code carried by the container. This identification also facilitates managing the filling of the cages or sacks to be handed over to the postal services.
According to another feature, the container includes means for angularly orienting the container. These means identify the angular position of the container at a given time and orient the container in order to impart a required angular position to it. To this end, a slot is provided at the base, for example.
The invention also provides a device for loading the above briefly described container with envelopes. The device includes: means for identifying a plurality of envelopes coming from an enveloping machine by recognizing envelope identification data; means for identifying the container by recognizing identification data carried by said container; means for associating the envelope identification data with the container identification data; and, mechanical means for bringing the empty container, loading envelopes into said empty container and evacuating the container loaded with envelopes.
Thus, data identifying the container is associated with data identifying the envelopes that it contains either at the same time as or after placing envelopes coming from an enveloping machine in the container. This facilitates managing the routing of envelopes to the cages or sacks in which they will be placed for handing them over to the postal services.
The invention also provides a system for grouping and temporarily storing the above briefly described containers. The system includes a main conveyor for moving and grouping the containers, the conveyor having lateral guides on each of its respective longitudinal sides to guide the containers, the lateral guides coming closer together at one end of the conveyor to form a bottleneck allowing only one container to pass at a time. After this, the containers thus isolated will be fed in single file onto a secondary conveyor to which multiple output devices will be connected, for example.
Among the output devices are stackers for stacking the envelopes on edge, banders and bagging machines.
Thus the containers are transported from one place to another with the envelopes that they contain, thus significantly reducing the handling tasks performed until now by operators.
According to one feature, the containers are placed on the conveyor which their generally elongate shape vertical and the opening of the housing facing upwards. Thus, the envelopes contained in the containers are transported on the conveyor with no risk of being mixed up and are grouped by postal container (sack, cage) as a function of their common zip code. As they are contained in a rigid container or receptacle, the envelopes may contain heterogeneous objects (keyrings, magnetic cards, etc.) without this compromising their transportation.
According to one feature, the system includes stations (one per enveloping machine) for introducing onto the conveyor containers loaded with envelopes by the above briefly described loading device. This introduction technique is particularly simple as each container is simply pushed onto the conveyor. Each container being identified, for example, by a bar code, thus the order of presentation of the containers on the conveyor is of no importance.
Other features and advantages of the invention will emerge in the course of the following description, which is given by way of nonlimiting example only and with reference to the appended drawings.